Helical ramp life-preserver

ABSTRACT

The present Patent of invention “HELICAL RAMP LIFE-PRESERVER” refers to a model of helical ramp, aimed for collective use, for immediate rescue of lives subjected to a probable fire, to be used in buildings of any height, or in places that cannot be reached by the devices currently in use, such as “Magirus” stairs, or even in those where these devices can reach, but a probable delay to help would put in risk people&#39;s life in an eventual emergency state.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0001] 1. Field of the Invention

[0002] The present Patent of invention refers to a model of helicalramp, aimed for collective use, for immediate rescue of lives subjectedto a probable fire, to be used in buildings of any height, or in placesthat cannot be reached by the devices currently in use, such as“Magirus” stairs, or even in those where these devices can reach, but aprobable delay to help would put in risk people's life in an eventualemergency state.

[0003] 2. Description of Prior Art

[0004] Currently, It happens that in most of the fires in buildings, theprobable delay on firemen's arrival, not caused by them, but because oftraffic jam or other difficulties, or of the remoteness of the place, oreven because we need more appropriate equipment but usually suffer fromlow budgeting, facts that concur to negative rescue statistics in greatfires, or because stairways in closed spaces, as devices adapted to therescue, can occasionally be transformed in a snare and in a chimney,being enough only one door left open (even if it has a room before it),for the smoke to penetrate through it and to turn going downimpracticable, because of the lack of oxygen and consequent immobilityof common people. We have still to take account of handicapped people,old people and also children, or even pet animals (As handicapped peopledon't go downstairs, they have only a minimal chance of rescue,nowadays).

[0005] Referring to fire extinguishers, whose maintenance is frequentlyprecarious, they contribute to some bad statistics,, stop working in themoments of larger need, and also sometimes being inadequate for the typeof fire.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0006] The present Patent of invention was developed to preserve life ofpeople and animals that work or lives in buildings, by a model ofhelical ramp, aimed to collective use, for immediate rescue of livessubjected to a probable fire, to be used in buildings of any height, orin places that cannot be reached by the devices currently in use, suchas “Magirus” stairs, or even in those where these devices can reach, buta probable delay to help would put in risk people's life in an eventualemergency state. The design of this helical ramp aims to help any kindof immediate rescue, filling this gap in the current technique, and tosolve the present problems of fire emergency systems, preserving lives,human beings, or animals, giving special attention to these matters.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0007]FIG. 1, with a perspective of a building with two ramps;

[0008]FIG. 2, with the perspective of two ramps and detailing ofsections;

[0009]FIG. 3, with the perspective of a building with one ramp anddetailing of an access;

[0010]FIG. 4, with the perspective of a building with two ramps anddetailing of the structure;

[0011]FIG. 5, with the perspective of a building with two ramps anddetailing of the ground landing;

[0012]FIG. 6, with a perspective of a building with two ramps anddetailing of water tubes and water reservoirs;

[0013]FIG. 7, with water tube and helical ramp detailing;

[0014]FIG. 8, with a perspective of the building with one ramp,detailing the accesses; and

[0015]FIG. 9, with a perspective of the building with one ramp.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0016] The “HELICAL RAMP LIFE-PRESERVER” has one or two helical rampssupported by the metallic structure, fixed on the building and supportedin soil by two pillars, supported on blocks, that leans on stakes (ifnecessary), having as access, ramps (FIGS. 1,2,3,4) that links bothcatwalks (FIG. 4—item 4), which make part of the building (FIGS.5,6,8,9), that are fed by the cutting-fire doors (FIG. 4—item 1), thatallow the access to the catwalks or embarking platforms (FIG. 4—item 4),protected by a safety metallic body (FIG. 4—item 3) and by its metallicor concreted structure (FIGS. 3,4,8,9), defined by independent pillars,metallic semi-arches supports and flagstones into the body of thereferred building. The helical ramps (FIGS. 1, 5, 6,8,9), get downaround the pillars, in straight and curved pieces (FIG. 1, FIGS. 2,34,5,8,9), allowing a fitting with the small voids of the ramp (FIGS. 2,3 and 4), which links the catwalks (FIGS. 3,4) to the main helical ramps(FIG. 3), allowing one to watch another users' downing, in so aiming toavoid shocks or running over, in such a way to organize the going down.The water that runs through the tubes, irrigates the ramps (FIG. 6—items1 and 2), then people who go down can reach the pool (FIG. 5) placed ina quota determined by the building, coming the water form the reservoirs(FIG. 6), placed on the top of the building. The pool should be placedon a point chosen next to and the emergency exit of the building. Theramps should have safety bars such as balustrade along its course, soavoiding falls as sliding of bodies outside the ramp. When there are notblind walls, it could be automatically extended a curtain of asbestoscement from the top to the bottom of the building of, being its useviable and object of complement of this invention.

[0017] On FIG. 1, there is the building, that should have a wall withoutwindows (when there is not, it is provided the going down of a curtainof asbestos cement or other incombustible material), with cutting-firedoors exits (FIG. 4—item 1), on each pavement, which allow the access tothe catwalks (FIG. 3—item 2, FIG. 4 item 2), which can be armed ormetallic flagstones, or still could be made of any incombustiblematerial, being a in-balance structure, provided of space enough toshelter the inhabitants of one or more pavements (besides the floatingpopulation of the building), because each pavement will have its catwalkprovided with safe balustrades (see details on FIG. 4—item 3),preferably on the side of the building where windows don't exist,because we should try to avoid that the smoke or the fire, reach thispart, which is destined exclusively to the rescue (it could be common totwo buildings). In so being, people in danger would run to thecutting-fire doors (FIG. 4 item 1) and consequently to the catwalks(FIG. 4 item 2), and through them, they would have access to the ramp byan access ramp (FIG. 2—items 4-A e 4-B, FIG. 3—item 4 and FIG. 4—item4), which makes the connection between the catwalk and the helical ramplife-preserver (FIG. 2—item 6, FIG. 3—item 6 e FIG. 4—item 6), whoseinclination, was and will be calculated in function of the distancebetween pavements and with enough inclination to allow sliding withoutproblems, by the users and even by objects, or by animals which areintended to save, (it works as a rescue exit (see details of the ramp onFIG. 5—item 7), having certainly as priority the human lives and thelife of pet animals, whose life have fundamental importance forchildren. Such way, we intended to assist to a quite including range,with an evident purpose: The RESCUE OF THE LARGEST NUMBER OF PEOPLEPossible! This fact becomes evident, giving the easiness and speed ofgoing down (48 people per minute), so as the easy access, the shortmaintenance demanded by the assembly (FIG. 1), besides the minimum cost,because it doesn't have mobile pieces and have little wasting, just likeour earlier patent application (the Stairway roll down lifeguard). Onthe bottom part, the exit, we will have a ramp whose declivity at theend, allows the reduction of the speed and at the end of this ramp,denominated exit (FIG. 5—item 7), built in flexible material (it couldbe made of glass fiber, since when it is been mixed with asbestos cementit becomes incombustible, or even of steel), a sand or water reservoiris provided (FIG. 5—item 8), that provides space to avoid people's,object's or animal's accumulation in the end of the ramp, in such a wayto avoid obstruction, or to cause damages in any of those elements. Inorder to decrease the friction between the body and avoiding possibleburns in the backs, legs and arms, due to the abrupt slide, the rampwill be wet by a controlled jet (FIG. 6—item 11 and FIG. 7—item 11) bythe opening of the cutting-fire doors themselves, which will bepossible, due to the existence of two complementary water reservoirs(FIG. 6—item 9), both exclusively destined to this use. They will belocated on the top of the helical stair and dimensioned for thispurpose, based on the population of the building, the necessarythickness of water blade, and the estimated speed of flown down, infunction of the height and traverse section of the access ramp, that canbe in a “U” form, (FIG. 2—item 4-B) or in a semi-rectangular section(FIG. 2—item 4-A and FIG. 8—item 4-A), or even in a tubular form,depending on the local needs and of safety requested in its employment.The materials employed on the “helical ramp life-preserver” (FIG. 1 and9), can be metal, acrylic, polycarbonate, or other material, compatiblewith the safety and stability requested by the aimed objective. Thedesign should provide the additional conditions of rescue priority,reliability, aesthetics and local governmental rules, firemen's rulesand proceedings of condominium meetings.

[0018] The conscience in going back to the rescue of human lives willprovide for the use of this invention most certainly by governmentorgans, by private investors and inhabitants, and certainly it willraise the interest of the insurance companies that will surely savemoney a lot when supporting this invention.

[0019] “HELICAL RAMP LIFE-PRESERVER”, requested for the rescue of livesin cases of fire in metal, or any other incombustible material notsubject to deformation because of the heat. It should assist the goingdown of people, through the inclination angle among the pavements, aswell as to allow the access through concrete or metallic catwalks,protected by body protectors, along its course. The ramp is sustained bya metallic structure or by concrete pillars or metal structures (FIG.2—item 5 and FIG. 4—item 5), by half rings into the central pillars, andon the own wall of the building, or on its structure, although it leansindependently due to the pillars, which are made in concrete or metal,which sustain and define the helixes that surround them and go downuntil the pavement where the water mirror or pool is placed (FIG. 5—item8). The pool allows extinguishing and moisten the bodies in eventualburning, seeking to turn off these effects, to soften the going down andto aid the bodies on its final stopping. It could be accessed by anyhuman being, injured or not, as well as by pet animals and objects. Theramp is irrigated by the water reservoirs placed on the top of thebuilding (FIG. 6—item 9), fed by a pumping system with independentgenerator, or through solar energy system, or just batteries (optional).The helical ramp life preserver, are made of straight and curved modules(FIG. 2—items 4-A and 4-B), adapted to the necessary going downinclination, as well as of modules for access (FIG. 3—item-4) betweenthe catwalks (FIG. 3—item 2 and FIG. 4—item 2), what allows the accessto the cutting-fire doors (FIG. 4—item 1), placed preferably on theblind part of the Building.

[0020] These ramps must permit the flowing of water by gravity alreadymentioned on the text, from the water reservoirs placed on the top ofthe building (FIG. 6—item 9), whose pipes (FIG. 6—item 10 and FIG.7—item 10) run the whole ramp, with irrigation obtained by opening anyof the cutting-fire doors, reservoirs that could be controlled by solarenergy system or battery, being the objectives of irrigation to decreasefriction between the body that goes down and the ramp, to wet itsclothes (or the body) and to decrease the heat caused both by the fireand by the friction, the ramps allowing greater safety, avoiding runningover and collisions among people, with larger traffic flow, decreasingthe building exiting time for its floating or permanent population. Theramp was calculated for a Building of 20 pavements (60,00 m high), witha mean area of 500 m2. It was taken account of 1 person at each 25 m2,being 20 people on each pavement, which multiplied by 20 pavements,results in 400 people, with 20% floating population (typical forapartment buildings), what results in 480 people to be put in safety.The estimated time for a height of 60 m at 12 m/s (an estimated a meanflowing out rate), results in an individual exiting time of 5 secondswithout intervals (60/12=5). As the ramp has enough space for 2 peoplegoing down at same time, (or 4 people when coupled), in each interval of1 second, 4 people could go down, what would take 5 seconds to go down.If we divide 480/4 and we multiply to 5, we have the total time spentfor the flowing down of the building and of its population, that is of600 seconds, or 10 minutes.

[0021] Therefore the whole building would be safe in 10 minutes. (In arough calculation subjected to practical alterations, with time measuredby a chronometer and also a function of appropriate training, time towait, etc., as it is currently made for elevators).

1. “HELICAL RAMP LIFE-PRESERVER”, requested for the rescue of lives incase of fire in buildings that assist the going down of people,characterized by, structure (5), in half rings into the central pillars,or on the own wall of the building, or on its structure, one or twolife-preserver ramp (6), helical with straight and curved modules whoseinclination is calculated in function of the distance between pavementsand with enough inclination to allow to slide without problems to theusers and even to objects or animals which are aimed to save andsustained and defined by the helixes that surround it and going downuntil the ground pavement where the exit (7) with a water mirror or pool(8) with dimensions based in the height of the building and exitvelocity, access ramps (4) made of straight module (4-A) and curvedmodule (4-B), adapted to the necessary inclination to the going down,catwalks (2) with balustrades (3), that allows the access from theconventional cutting-fire doors (1) placed preferably laterally on theblind part of the building or side to side with a curtain ofincombustible material, conventional water reservoirs (9) placed on thetop of the building with dimensions based on the height of the building,fed by a conventional pumping system with independent generator, or bysolar energy system or by batteries, pipes (10) running all the ramp (6)and controlled jet (11) automatically acted by the own opening of thecutting-fire doors.